In the field of vehicle drivetrain components, a transfer case is an apparatus that distributes driving power to more than one driven axle of the vehicle. A typical transfer case receives driving power from the transmission of the vehicle and transfers that power to a primary output shaft that is driven constantly, for example, during operation of the vehicle in a two-wheel drive mode, and a secondary output shaft that is driven selectively using a plate clutch, for example, during operation of the vehicle in a four-wheel drive mode. In addition, two-speed transfer cases provide gear reduction to allow operation in a high range, which is typically a 1:1 drive ratio, or a low range, such as a 2:1 drive ratio.
It would be advantageous to provide a transfer case that additionally includes a locking mechanism for positively coupling the primary output shaft and the secondary output shaft for transferring torque therebetween. It would be further advantageous to provide a transfer case with a common actuator system, which selectively operates the plate clutch and the locking mechanism, and further causes the transfer case to selectively change between high and low range.